My Why

Why I practice is simple, yet so beautifully complex.
When I practice, I feel at home–
home in my body, home in my breath and home in my heart.
When I practice, I feel strong and disciplined–
I practice as a means of grounding, as a blissfuly beautiful way to center myself–
mind, body, soul.
When on my mat, I feel most alive–
ready and willing to look at myself, to look at others and to look at the world through a lens of compassion, grace and humility.
My practice helps me to see and honor the colors within the black and the white;
the space between extremes and the meandering roads circulating the path of the known and leading to the journey of the unknown.
In practice, I use the fluidity of my body to rewire my mind– to remain disciplined, focus, engaged and abundantly curious.
I train my mind to observe my own thought patterns without needing to react to every fluctuation that arises.
In practice, I work, day in and day out, towards what Patanjali describes as contentment: moving into the depths of the present moment, without regretting the past or worrying about the future.
My practice helps me practice being present to all that is– right here, right now.
In the Yoga Sutras it is said that yoga requires consistent austerity, study and dedication. When we are disciplined with our practice and committed to our own self-study and self-growth the practice very seamlessly works its magic. We start to broaden our internal landscape to think more fluidly and to respond more effectively to our own inner truth.
Ask yourself:
Why do I practice?
What is it that this practice does for me time and time again?
What role does my practice play in my life, in my dreams and in my overall well-being?
Honor that. Trust that. Practice that. Live that.

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About the Author

Lauren Cohen is a San Francisco-based yoga teacher and writer. She is a former competitive figure skater and currently leads retreats all over the world. She has completed over 500-hours of continued study with her teachers, Janet Stone, Jason Crandall and Elena Brower and continues to be inspired by all of the magical moments on and off the mat.

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